Across South Africa, thousands of demonstrators converged in various locations to voice their opposition to illegal immigration. Marches took place in several cities, including Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town.
Despite the tight security measures in place, media reported isolated violent attacks against foreigners from other African countries on the fringes of the marches.
According to police reports, demonstrators stormed and looted several homes and businesses owned by migrants in the suburbs of Johannesburg. In the province of KwaZulu-Natal, police arrested ten people for looting and burglary.
Businesses close in Johannesburg
In Johannesburg, the country’s financial center, most businesses closed during the protest march comprising several thousand people, with many workers staying home and public transport services being limited.
Young men carrying traditional fighting sticks and women of all ages were among the protesters marching through Johannesburg’s city center. Some wore the South African flag and sang liberation songs.
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Watched by police in bulletproof vests and riot helmets, they carried posters with slogans such as “SA withdraw from the UN refugee convention,” “The future of our kids” and “80% of children born in Limpopo province are born to foreign nationals.”
“Today is the last day,” protester Nkele Thebe said at the start of the Johannesburg march. “After today, we’ll be dealing with our president and our nation. We don’t want an outsider to come interfere.”
Protesters demand mass deportation
In Durban — a southeastern city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal — protesters turned out in traditional warrior attire. Some carried spears, whips, and shields, while others were draped in leopard skins.
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“South Africans have been replaced by illegal foreigners, increasing unemployment,” Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, the leader of the anti-immigrant March and March group, told a crowd in Durban.
“We want mass deportation,” she said. “For the next six months we want the government to get rid of the people who have not left.”
As reported by the media, Ngobese-Zuma announced weekly demonstrations to her supporters in Durban for the coming months.
Meanwhile, only around a hundred people took part in the anti-migrant march in Cape Town, a popular tourist destination, where a counter-demonstration against xenophobia was also held.
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